May 4, 2021
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.
In celebration of National Nurses Day (May 12th, 2021) and National Nurses Week (May 6th-12th, 2021), this entire episode of RIMScast is dedicated to nursing professionals all around the globe who have set a dynamic example of how to act professionally while innovating —all during an incredibly unique and tumultuous year!
Joining Justin Smulison to discuss nursing and healthcare, are current and former leaders of renowned nursing associations, Dr. Sophia Thomas and Vicki Good.
Dr. Sophia Thomas is the President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the host of the AANP podcast, NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, and is also a certified family and pediatric nurse practitioner. Dr. Sophia is dedicated to providing care to medically underserved families, and, in 2020, she was recognized as one of modern healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare. In Justin’s and her conversation today, Dr. Sophia speaks about the changes she has seen in the nursing profession in the last year due to COVID-19, her insights and predictions around telehealth, how to address stress and burnout as a healthcare provider, and the current risks that nurses face.
Vicki Good is the former President of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. She is a national nursing leader with executive-level experience in nursing, quality and safety, and education. In her current role as Executive Director of Nursing for Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, Vicki is responsible for a Level 1 emergency trauma center with over 73,000 visits per year. She was also recently named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s 50 Experts Leading in the Field of Patient Safety. In this episode, Vicki shares some insights on nurse burnout and fatigue, how she has seen the nursing profession’s risk management protocols change due to COVID-19, and the benefits of virtual services in telehealth.
Don’t miss out on Vicki Good and Dr. Sophia Thomas’s insights into how the nursing profession has changed within the last year!
Key Takeaways:
[:01] About RIMS’s Global Membership.
[:25] About today’s episode!
[:45] How to access RIMS LIVE 2021 sessions and keynotes online!
[1:07] About upcoming RIMS webinars.
[1:34] Justin introduces today’s first guest, Dr. Sophia Thomas.
[2:15] Justin welcomes Dr. Sophia Thomas to the podcast!
[2:32] Dr. Sophia Thomas speaks about her role as the President of AANP, how she ended up in the role, and her career journey thus far.
[3:27] Sophia reflects on how COVID-19 has changed the nursing profession’s risk management protocols.
[5:03] Does Sophia see the changes that have occurred in the last year due to COVID-19 impacting the education of future generations of nurses?
[6:14] Does Sophia feel that the bedside manner that nurses are so renowned for is missing when it comes to telehealth?
[7:22] What have Sophia and the AANP learned about burnout that has helped improve the profession?
[8:30] Sophia shares about the invaluable resources available on AANP related to burnout.
[8:45] The importance of addressing stress and burnout as a healthcare provider.
[9:41] Are there any major similarities between a major hurricane or flood and the COVID-19 virus?
[11:35] Sophia highlights some of the other risks that she feels nurses face that should be a part of the larger dialogue.
[13:33] Sophia shares her thoughts on Nurses Week and Nurses Day.
[14:48] Sophia plugs some upcoming 2021 AANP events.
[15:33] Justin thanks Dr. Sophia Thomas for joining the podcast!
[15:46] About Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus Program.
[16:26] Justin introduces today’s second guest, Vicki Good.
[17:07] Justin welcomes Vicki to the podcast!
[17:19] Vicki speaks about her career background as well as her current role with Mercy Hospital Springfield.
[18:21] As the former President of the AACN, has Vicki always appreciated when Nurses Week and Nurses Day have come around?
[20:19] Vicki shares how she has seen the nursing profession’s risk management protocols change due to COVID-19.
[21:40] How have the changes in risk management protocol (in the nursing profession due to COVID-19) helped change or renew the approach to instituting a culture of safety?
[23:37] Vicki highlights some of the new protocols (that have recently emerged due to COVID-19) that she believes the nursing profession should continue to use going forward.
[24:51] COVID-19 is an issue that continues to come back and there are very few examples in modern history that we can use as a reference point. Vicki shares her viewpoint on this and reflects on how this marks a new point in our history.
[26:01] When it comes to education, does Vicki feel that COVID-19 is going to become its own textbook?
[27:28] Does Vicki think that the COVID-19 outbreak has turned potential nurses away from the profession? Or has it been more of a rallying cry, attracting new people to the profession?
[30:55] Vicki shares what she sees as benefiting the healthcare profession overall due to or since COVID-19.
[31:27] Has Vicki personally seen the benefits of virtual services in telehealth?
[32:40] Vicki highlights some of the incredible benefits of telehealth.
[33:56] Risks that nurses face that Vicki feels should be a part of the larger dialogue.
[37:15] What facilities, organizations, companies, or professionals can do to address these risks and open up the dialogue.
[38:53] Justin thanks Vicki Good for joining the podcast and sharing her insights.
[39:32] Justin thanks Dr. Sophia Thomas and Vicki Good once again for joining the podcast and highlights some of the links to check out in this episode’s show notes!
Mentioned in this Episode:
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner (the Official Podcast of AANP)
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
2021 The National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) Conference (AACN’s Annual Conference)
RIMS Webinars and Services:
RIMS LIVE 2021 — Full Conference Attendees can access sessions and keynotes through June 30th!
Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus Program — Volunteer Today!
RIMS-CRMP-FED Virtual Prep Course — May 24–26th, 2021
May 5, 2021 | “Reputation Risks. Reputation Protection. Crisis Reduction.”
May 13, 2021 | “The Risks and Rewards of Virtual Services” | Sponsored by Beazley
May 20, 2021 | “Demystifying How Your Property Data Drives Insurance Outcomes” | Sponsored by Archipelago
May 27, 2021 | “The Dark Side of Human Nature: Preparing for Impact After a Year of Growing Tensions” | Sponsored by Beazley
RIMS Advisory Services — Ask a Peer
Related RIMScast Episodes:
“Mental Health in the Workplace with Darcy Gruttadaro”
“How Risk Professionals Can Avoid Digital and Remote Burnout with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky”
“COVID-19 Update with Dr. Adrian Hyzler of Healix International”
“SRM And Modular Healthcare Installation of the Future with Project Héroe Creators”
“Telemedicine: Risks and Benefits with Jennifer Schoenthal”
Download any episode of RIMScast.
RIMS Publications, Content, and Links:
Risk Management Monitor: “Minimizing the Dangers for Hospital Nurses”
Risk Management Magazine’s 2021 Awards Issue
RIMS Coronavirus Information Center
RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)
RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community!
Want to Learn More?
Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on iTunes.
Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.
Join the Conversation!
Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook and Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Follow up with Our Guests:
Dr. Sophia Thomas’ Profile on AANP
Tweetables (For Social Media Use):
“One of the most important things, as we look at educating the next generation of nurses, is looking at COVID-19 as a learning experience and all of the changes we’ve had to make in our own practices to accommodate patients to maintain privacy practices.” — Dr. Sophia Thomas
“The advent of telehealth has really opened up a new chapter; a new fact of providing healthcare. It’s now a way to … improve access to healthcare for people across all healthcare settings.” — Dr. Sophia Thomas
“In educating the future of healthcare — whether that’s nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, or other colleagues — [telehealth is] really going to have to be incorporated into the next generation of healthcare.” — Dr. Sophia Thomas
“My career has gone from taking care of the patient to taking care of the nurse — and that’s where I find my joy and satisfaction.” — Vicki Good
“I think [COVID-19] is going to become its own learning section … in a book … on how do you really handle a communicable disease spread in a rapid fashion? [And] what does that pandemic management look like?” — Vicki Good
“I think the thing that benefited the profession in just healthcare overall is really looking at telehealth medicine in a totally different light.” — Vicki Good